White Noise Press / April 2008
Reviewed by: Blu Gilliand

Seldom Seen In August opens like a straight-up crime drama: Wade Crawford is on the run, ducking the police after a bank robbery gone bad, trying to lose himself in a maze of typical suburban houses while sirens wail in the distance. His partner is running, too, only he went in the other direction, and has all their money in his hands.

Things aren’t looking good for Wade. And they’re about to start looking a whole lot worse.

He picks a house out of the generic neighborhood lineup and breaks in. The place seems empty, but Wade, ever the deliberate criminal, begins a room-by-room search, wanting to be sure he’s alone before relaxing long enough to plan his next move.

He’s not alone. There’s a boy with a straight razor, for one thing, and many more surprises are lurking in the shadows.

To really get a feel for the ride Burke takes you on in this 39-page novella, beautifully designed and illustrated by White Noise Press chief Keith Minnion, picture him behind the wheel of your getaway car. Just when you feel like he’s settled on a direction, he wrenches the wheel to the left, sending the car screaming into Twilight Zone territory. One hard right later and you’re bound straight for science fiction. But like any expert driver, Burke may look like he’s seconds away from a fatal crash, but he’s in complete control. He’s going to get you where you’re going – a little bumped and bruised, a little out of breath, but exhilarated all the same.

Seldom Seen In August showcases Burke’s continued growth as a writer. With every published piece, the characterizations get sharper, the themes become more complex, and the voice becomes more distinct. Burke continues to push the boundaries of his own fiction, showing more of his influences even as he refines his own style. With this short, powerful story, readers can continue to see where investment in the early stages of this writer’s career are going to pay dividends for some time to come.

The softcover edition of Seldom Seen In August is sold out. For more information on White Noise Press’ forthcoming lettered hardcover edition of this novella, click here.

Bad Moon Books / February 2008
Reviewed by: Jeff Burk

Bad Moon Books has released yet another memorable, if not confounding, tale. I'm not sure whether to fall over in a fit of giggles or sit crying in the shower after reading The Bitchfight by four-time Bram Stoker Award winner Michael A. Arnzen. Child abuse, the mob, bestiality, and a very sick sense of humor await those twisted enough to venture into this short novelette.

A veterinarian in debt to the mob is called upon to make a very unusual house call. The animal in question is a little girl who acts like a dog, complete with barking and walking on all fours. To make matters worse, the vet is expected to stay and provide medical assistance for that evening's "dog-fights," a savage event where similar children will maim and gouge for a cheering, gambling crowd.

Clocking in at a mere 14,000 words, Arnzen wastes no time plunging the reader into a world of sickness and never lets up. There are no great metaphors at work here, no insight into the human condition, just shock and horror. Each turn of the page presents a new perversity. It may be for the best that the story is so short.

Some readers may be put off by how far Arnzen stretches the plot here, and not just in terms of violence and gore. While the story starts out believable enough, it abruptly veers into the realm of the fantastic. Readers who prefer their horror reality-based are cautioned: While the story sounds like a gritty, realistic tale, its tone is too light-hearted and the events too absurd to be taken in earnest.

For those looking for something completely different in their horror fiction, Michael A. Arnzen has the perfect little story for you. Take one part splatter, one part mob tale, add a dash of sex and violence, and throw in a whole lot of weirdness, and one has The Bitchfight. Recommended only for those with a strong stomach and an open mind; everyone else may feel some extreme discomfort. You have been warned.

Purchase Michael A. Arnzen’s The Bitchfight.

Bloodletting Press / February 2008
Reviewed by: Jeff Burk

J.F. Gonzalez (Survivor) and Wrath James White (Book of a Thousand Sins) have been known to traumatize readers with their tales of gore, violence, and the darkest side of human nature. In horror, this is the highest of compliments. Now they have teamed up to write Hero, a story of racism and torture that borrows more than a little from Stephen King's Misery.

Adelle Smith is a former radical civil rights activist who now lives quietly in her urban community. After suffering a particularly debilitating stroke, she is left in need of a full-time caregiver. Enter Natsinet, a nurse who just so happens to be an unrepentant racist and serial killer. Left alone with Adelle, Natsinet uses the opportunity to savagely express her racial hostilities.

The plot touches upon important social and political issues, but never fully breaks away from the story that Stephen King already made famous. Deeper exploration of the racial dynamics of the characters would have greatly enriched the story. The characters talk a lot about race but say very little, their commentary limited to clichéd talking points sprinkled in between scenes of cruelty.

Wrath and Gonzalez have written some of the most squirm-inducing scenes in modern horror fiction, and while Hero contains more than its fair share of violence, it feels oddly restrained. While Adelle undergoes some horrific torture, the reader never truly fears for her fate. Despite the promise of edginess implied by virtue of the book's small press publication,  there is nothing in the content that would exclude Hero from a mass-market release.

Hero is far from a bad book, but falls squarely into the category of average. It does not contain the sheer bloodshed and brutality normally found in Wrath James White's works or the engaging characters and unique plots found in J. F. Gonzalez's. The author's meet in the middle on Hero, but it is the wrong meeting point. Avid fans of both authors and those who like their horror nice and pulpy will enjoy this book. It’s just frustrating that two powerhouse authors do not deliver the thoughtful, soul-crushing book one knows they could have.

Purchase Hero by Wrath James White and J.F. Gonzalez.

Croatoan Publishing / April 2008
Reviewed by: Shannon Riley

War has made Ruin Town, a small settlement near Houston, Texas, living hell for those unlucky enough to be trapped between the two opposing factions. The story is futuristic; set in 2017 in desperate and ravaged region. The military leader, General Jeremiah Payne, is a sadistic butcher who preys upon the innocents who manage to survive the bombs and fighting. Mutilation, murder and rape are all sport to him and his band of mercenaries. The only hope the people have is one man, a doctor known as the Flesh-Welder.

“Flesh Welder,” a story that originally appeared in Noctulpa: Journal of Horror #4 (1990), is now a new chapbook from Croatoan Publishing, and it marks the return of popular Southern horror author Ronald Kelly after a ten-year hiatus.

The strength of Flesh Welder lies in Kelly’s unique writing style that he calls “southern-fried horror,” one that explores the dark side of Dixie, and his characters and dialogue reinforce a sense of authenticity to the tale. There is a delicious sense of mystery at play here, and the suspense in the story builds through anticipation of what the unexpected horror is and when it will be revealed.

The cover design and artwork for this attractive publication is by artist Zack McCain, and the chapbook includes - in addition to the title story - an exclusive interview with the author conducted by Mark Hickerson, plus a two-chapter excerpt from Kelly’s upcoming novel, Undertaker’s Moon, a re-release from Croatoan of his novel Moon of the Werewolf. The chapbook is signed by both author and artist.

Kelly is the author of eight novels published under the Zebra imprint in the late 80’s and early 90’s, including Hindsight, Moon of the Werewolf and Blood Kin. His audio short story collection, Dark Dixie: Tales of Southern Horror, from Spine-Tingling Press was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1992.

Flesh Welder is an exciting comeback story that should please existing Ronald Kelly fans and introduce his work to many new ones.

Purchase Ronald Kelly’s Flesh Welder.

Mundania Press / October 2007
Reviewed by: Derek Clendening

Professor Alfred Rhys Smythe, the protagonist of William A. Veselik’s Corpses So Lively, returns to London after several years spent abroad. Upon his return home, he notes some changes to the neighborhood: namely, the theater district is now crawling with the walking undead! The mysterious death of a boarding house neighbor triggers this suspicion, and he soon realizes that bloodthirsty vampires are stalking London. As Smythe finds a telling infection in one of his student’s blood and the death toll continues to mount, the impact of the crimes strikes closer to home and he finds himself engaged in battle against vampires with a Scotland Yard sidekick. Corpses is the first book in Veselik's My Soul to Take trilogy. The Mundania Press trade paperback cleverly weaves vampire lore with a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery plot.

Veselik skillfully re-creates an authentic Victorian atmosphere by blending historical and cultural details that transport the reader back to a different time and place. His approach to the vampire as a creature is inventive as well, using hard science to explain the spread of vampirism in the city.

The most noteworthy aspect of the novel – one that will be received by readers as either a tickle of ingenuity or a smack of cliché - is its direct parallel to Dracula. It references Stoker's text - as many vampire novels do - only Veselik's direct comparisons are intentional. The time period is 1897, the year Bram Stoker’s Dracula was published, and Veselik uses Smythe’s familiarity with the creatures described in Stoker’s new literary work as a plot device. And while the opening chapter’s revelation that Smythe is a biology professor who is familiar with vampires certainly helps with the hard science aspect, it screams Van Helsing perhaps a bit too loudly at times. Occasionally, Veselik overshoots a bit, either not trusting the reader to understand facts that he has already established or weighing down the narrative in unnecessary detail.

Corpses So Lively ends with an excellent cliffhanger as any serialized novel should, and Veselik offers enough enticement to pick up the next installment, Enter Death, Stage Right. Though parts of this first volume rehash classic vampire works, it still offers some new insight into vampire lore, and a satisfying new twist for vampire fiction.

Purchase William A. Veselik’s Corpses Most Lively.

Delirium Books / March 2008
Reviewed by: Shannon Riley

The death of a loved one is never easy, and for Daniel Cicero, the sudden and violent accidental hit and run death of his beloved wife, Lindsey, is shattering. Trapped in a prison of unrelenting grief, unable to move forward with his life, he clings to the comfort of established routine, driving each day to the radio station from which he was fired, spending his nights in the company of his best friend or wandering the streets, living always in the shadow of his loss.

Then strange things began to happen. A stranger calls and taunts him with the message that Lindsey is still alive and he begins seeing private photographs of his wife as well as other disturbing images on the computer. As the malevolent stranger draws nearer, dreams and premonitions make it difficult to distinguish fact from illusion, and when Daniel goes in search of the truth, he finds himself confronting the possibility of alternate realities and evil that uses technology and our secret sins as bridges between worlds.

Delving deeply into the theory of quantum physics, the story presents the possibility of multiple physical manifestations of the same individuals existing, not in separate spheres, but here on earth at the same time.

Multi-layered and veined with subplots, the novel questions aspects of how society labels persons different than the norm and whether the accepted means of determining intelligence is actually a means of discrimination.

Greg F. Gifune has been called “the thinking person’s horror writer,” and he is that. He is also a master storyteller. Associate editor at Delirium Books, he is author of such novels as Deep Night, The Bleeding Season and A View from the Lake.

Compelling and beautifully written, Dominion is at once a disturbing story of loss, guilt, and the triumph of darkness as well as a dissertation on human existence that questions the very foundations of our beliefs about God, life and the hereafter.

Purchase Greg F. Gifune’s Dominion.

Cemetery Dance Publications / October 2007
Reviewed by: Martel Sardina

Getting married is dangerous business, especially for actor Jamey Shepard. Jamey’s road trip from LA to Phoenix, where his impending nuptials are to occur, should be nothing more than a relaxing, leisurely drive. Instead, a stop for gas turns deadly when an overzealous cop mistakes Jamey for Duncan MacGregor, the real-life criminal Jamey portrayed on a recent episode of the TV crime series American Fugitives.

Jamey flees the scene and contacts his agent, Sherry Van Horn. He plans to turn himself in but wants to have a lawyer before he does, because if the other cops are anything like the one he just encountered, he’ll be surrendering to a lynch mob. Sherry assures Jamey that she will retain a lawyer to help him clear up this mess. All Jamey has to do now is go to the nearest police station and end this nightmare. With any luck, he can still be reunited with his fiancée, Samantha, in time for their wedding.

Unfortunately, the only luck Jamey finds from this point on is bad luck. Two amateur bounty hunters find Jamey before he can turn himself in and are trying to figure out how to best profit from his capture.

Now that Jamey’s life is starting to look more and more like Duncan MacGregor’s, a phenomenon is occurring back in Hollywood. There is an inverse relationship between Jamey’s misfortune and the amount of money people are willing to pay to for the rights to his story. Jamey’s newfound infamy leaves one question unanswered: will Jamey be able to stay alive long enough to cash in?

Hodge takes the reader on a roller coaster ride, navigating the twists and turns through both Jamey’s eyes and the enriched point of view of the supporting characters. The seamless transitions captivate the reader and keep the story moving forward at a steady pace. Even when Jamey has a moment to catch his breath, Hodge never gives the reader the opportunity to lose interest. Hodge leaves each scene and each chapter with unanswered questions and promises yet to be fulfilled. By the novel’s end, Hodge delivers the answers and a satisfying resolution. Hodge also manages the hard task (in a work of this length) of neatly tying up all of the loose ends.

These days, crime novels that top the 300-page mark are becoming a rarity. The mainstream publishing houses are unwilling to take risks on epic novels. Fortunately for readers, Cemetery Dance had the foresight to take a chance on Hodge’s latest gem. Readers who invest the time in reading Mad Dogs will not leave their reading chairs disappointed.

Purchase Brian Hodge’s Mad Dogs.